Category Things I love
Orchid
Spring is a season of change. This weekend our clocks will move forward into daylight saving time. Three years ago exactly, I was spending my last night in London before moving back to the states. And nine years ago I gave notice to my law firm that I was leaving to take a new job […]
More Zion!
Up again in the wee hours, out with the first shuttle, and on the trail before dawn. Today we did three different hikes, with snacks and naps and a healthy serving (or five) of ice cream in between. Vanessa’s step-counter says we did more that 30,000 steps over more than 12 miles. Another fun day […]
The Narrows!
Yesterday I met up with Vanessa in Las Vegas and drove to the tiny town of Springdale, Utah, which sits at the entrance to Zion national park. This morning we set our alarms for o-dark-middle-of-the-night so that we could be on the first shuttle into the park and among the first people to head into […]
Meanwhile in the garden
Despite the chilly dampness of the last many months, the garden knows that we’re nearing solstice. The long days have coaxed the roses into their first flush of blooms. They’re so lovely. In the opposite corner the Mexican fleabane is as exuberant and joyful a ever, framing a wee pink dahlia. I just love those […]
Progress at the little house: Yard work!
With all that’s been happening with construction inside the house, the yard has been sorely neglected. Spring snowstorms brought down big branches of the trees in back, and the front yard had achieved peak hay-field look. So this weekend’s project was to bring it al back from the brink of nature. I asked if I […]
Progress at the house: drywall!
At long last, things are moving again at the little house. Drywall and wall texture are now done and it’s starting to look like a real house again. Its exciting to envision the end result, and I’m obsessed with the arches. Oh and guess what: the house next door, which has a similar square footage […]
Graduation!
Twenty-four years after Heather and I donned the mortar board and crossed the stage, Heather’s eldest, Brynn, has now gone the same. She’s officially graduated and out into the world! And credit where credit is due: I went into the event dreading what would surely be a tedious slog as we worked through a list […]
First roses
The pink-and-white speckled roses have started to bloom. Seems earlier in the season than last year, and the other varieties are probably still about a month out from their first bloom cycle. But the bush looks healthy and the flowers are a nice colourful addition in the dreary Seattle spring weather.
Weekend in New York!
Back in (what turned out to be the final days of) the before-times when I lived in London and seeing plays was normal, I saw James McAvoy play Cyrano de Bergerac in a new adaptation of the of the play. It was excellent; one of the best pieces of theatre I’ve seen. So when a […]
It’s finally garden season in Seattle
As March, April, and May plod by under chilly clouds with temperatures steadfastly in the 45-55 range, spring in Seattle can feel like quite a slog. But then a sunny, mid-60s weekend arrives and all the joy of spring comes rushing out at once. That’s how this weekend has been–and oh, what good it does […]
A More Gentlemanlike Manner 